The Battle at Wyrmroost
by Mario and BFDI Bros
Summary: When Kendra goes to Wyrmroost to transfer caretaker-ship, Raxtus expresses his feelings for her. When Bracken finds out, he is driven to do inhumane things. A skirmish erupts between the Fairy People and the dragons with Kendra right in the middle. Kendra struggles with loving Bracken and Raxtus. Raxtus struggles with his self esteem. Bracken struggles with his values. (Complete)
1. Chapter 1 - Caretakers No Longer

**A/N: Yay! We have a cover. Tell me what you think of Raxtus; this is how I pictured him! (And, yes, I know my drawing skills are trash.)**

"We're here," Grandpa Sorenson called from the barrel. Then he disappeared. Seth and, finally, Kendra came through the barrel. They were now in Blackwell Keep in Wyrmroost, a dragon sanctuary. They had come to end their caretaker-ship there. It hadn't been a year since their induction, but, since Celebrant had been defeated, the title of co-caretaker had been transferred to Raxtus. The members of Dragonwatch hadn't wanted to adopt new treaties just after all the chaos of the battle, so they'd kept the treaties for now and let Kendra and Seth pick a dragon to be the new co-caretaker. Of course, they'd chosen Raxtus. Kendra and Seth didn't have any doubt he'd let them be replaced.

Kendra entered Blackwell Keep, the memories rushing back to her. She saw Henrick and greeted him: "hey, Henrick!"

"You're here to abdicate?"

"Yep," Seth said.

"We need to return to Fablehaven," Kendra explained, "our other grandparents are currently running Fablehaven, but they… are needed other places. Grandpa Sorenson is leading the Knights of the Dawn, and Ruth should probably have help. We also need to be available in emergencies and not stuck at Wymroost."

"Marat's ready to take over for you. He'll escort you to the perch, in case anything… funny happens."

"I have no doubt anything will. I would trust Raxtus with my life. But we might as well be safe."

Marat entered the room. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go."

Marat, Seth, and Kendra stepped onto the Perch formed by Seth's onyx tower.

"Raxtus, come to the perch!" Marat called. All dragons had excellent hearing, so probably every dragon in the sanctuary could hear his call. In less than ten seconds, Raxtus came into view. He swooped over to the Perch, then flapped in front of them.

"You needn't tire yourself. Perch upon… the Perch," Marat invited. He muttered, "that came out wrong."

"Thanks," Raxtus said, "I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with that."

"Raxtus, stop that you know we trust you," Kendra scolded.

"Kendra!" he exclaimed, just realizing she was there, "C-can I talk to you… in private?"

Marat hesitated. "Kendra, I wouldn't-"

"Sure. Marat, I am still caretaker. I make my own decisions and have more authority than you."

Marat sighed. "You should be fine."

"Hop on," Raxtus said.

As Kendra complied, she heard Marat whisper to Seth something about Celebrant. She mounted Raxtus and he flew under tree cover, out of view of Marat and Seth on the Perch.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while," Raxtus said. Before Kendra's eyes, Raxtus's shape became blurry. When it came back into focus, he had shrunk and his features had changed. He blurred again and was in his human form. The entire process had taken less than a second. Kendra looked at his human form. There was one word that came to mind: cute. Not strikingly handsome like Bracken, but like a puppy you just wanted to snuggle. He had silvery hair, and very light blue eyes, almost like the color of ice. But his eyes were not icy at all. They were soft and shy. His skin was just slightly darker than Kendra's, which was surprising because of his paleness in dragon form. He was blushing, which added to the look. He seemed to radiate light. Now she knew what creatures meant when they said she shined. She liked this look almost better than Bracken. Maybe better.

"I thought you couldn't take human form."

"Well, the Fairy Queen answered my pleas and gave me a human avatar temporarily. If I earn it, I can keep it. If not, I'll never be able to take mortal form again. Anyway, I thought we could feel more similar if I took this form."

Kendra had an idea of where this was going with Raxtus and was tempted to mention the she had a boyfriend. However, Raxtus spoke first. "You have to leave?"

"Yes. I have to return to Fablehaven."

"Are you going to come back to visit?"

"Probably not," Kendra admitted.

"Well… um… I'll miss you." Raxtus gained more confidence in his speech. "I know you must hate dragons' guts right now, but-"

"No, Raxtus, I could never hate you!"

"Well, thanks. Just know… just know you have a dragon out there who cares about you."

Raxtus approached Kendra and tried to embrace her, but held back, unsure of what Kendra felt towards him. Kendra finished the job for him. As they hugged, Kendra thought, Bracken! No, just forget about him for now. Enjoy Raxtus. He deserves to be enjoyed.

Raxtus, still in the embrace, broke the silence, "Should I become a wizard?"

"You can't."

"But… what if I could. Would it help you forget… I'm a dragon?

"Raxtus, human, dragon, I don't care what you are, as long as you're you. And why would I want to forget you're a dragon?"

Raxtus pulled away and smiled. "Thanks." He stepped away farther and turned into a dragon.

"Raxtus! One more thing. I… I'll come back to visit." Raxtus seemed to smile as Kendra mounted him.

Kendra and Raxtus flew up to the Perch and Kendra got off. Seth asked, "what was that all about?"

"You want me to be honest?"

"Sure."

"I just got another boyfriend."

Before Seth could reply, Marat started the process. "Do you, Raxtus, permit the transfer of co-caretaker from Seth Sorenson and Kendra Sorenson to me, Camarat."

Raxtus looked at Kendra. "I'm sorry," she mouthed, "I have to leave."

If dragons could cry, Raxtus was. "I… I permit."

"You seem reluctant," Marat commented.

"It's… a private matter that is troubling me. It's what I talked to Kendra about."

"Very well. Let us care for this sanctuary together. Kendra, Seth, you can leave now.

"Raxtus," Kendra called before leaving, "we will see each other by the end of the year."

Raxtus seemed to smile. "I hope we do."


	2. Chapter 2 - A Meeting with Raxtus

Two months later, Kendra's itch to see Raxtus was growing unbearable. She had started going to school again. Amazingly, she started agreeing with Seth: life was so boring now. To make matters worse, she had just been asked out by one of her classmates near the end of the day. She'd said, "I already have a boyfriend. Two, actually. I definitely do not need another one. Sorry."

He had asked, "Who?"

That had been really awkward. What was she going to say? "Well, one's a unicorn and the other is a dragon"? She had been saved by the bell. Reminded of Raxtus, she decided to ask to visit him.

"Grandpa, I need to visit Wymroost," Kendra said when she arrived back at Fablehaven.

"Why?"

She tried not to lie. "Raxtus needs to see me for something." True.

"What for?"

"I'm… not supposed to tell." I told myself not to tell you, so, true.

Grandpa Sorensen raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I would tell you, it's nothing dangerous or important," Kendra tried to recover, "but I wouldn't want to ignore a dragon's request." That was a lie. It wasn't dangerous, but it was certainly important to me and to Raxtus. Raxtus hadn't made any request not to tell anyone.

"Okay. I'll go through the barrel with you this weekend. Well bring Seth, too. We don't want an ogre smashing our house while I'm not here to watch him."

"Thanks, Grandpa.

Kendra entered the barrel. "Blackwell Keep, this is Kendra Sorensen. Raxtus, the co-caretaker, will permit my entrance." A few seconds later, she was pulled through. Grandpa Sorensen and Seth were then pulled through. They came up to the ground floor and Kendra approached the Perch. "You don't need to come," she told Seth and her grandpa.

She stepped out onto the Perch. It was now wooden; Seth's onyx tower was nowhere to be found. Undoubtedly, Agad, the wizard who had given Seth the tower, was able to shrink it back to its normal size.

"Raxtus!" Kendra called. A green dragon, not Raxtus, flew up out of the forest and approached her.

"Where is Raxtus?" Kendra demanded.

The dragon opened his jaw. "Kendra!" Grandpa called, but it was too late. The dragon's flames enveloped her. But she saw something emerge from the scene. It was Raxtus, who had been invisible. Kendra could feel the inferno searing her flesh. And then it wasn't. Raxtus was using his breath weapon, the ability to grow and heal living things, on her. Marat emerged at the entrance to the Perch. He quickly shielded Kendra. The green dragon gave up, and Raxtus stopped just after. Kendra noticed that her skin was smooth, as if she had applied lotion to her entire body, and a scratch on her arm from falling a few days ago was healed. The green dragon turned on Raxtus and breathed fire. "Raxtus!" Kendra cried.

The call was unnecessary; Raxtus had already turned invisible and moved out of the way. He reappeared just below the green dragon and slashed it from the hind leg up to his wing, leaving a deep gash. The dragon swatted at him, but Raxtus spiraled away through the air. His maneuvers reminded Kendra of Tempest, an incredibly fast and agile griffin that Seth had ridden through a sky of hostile dragons. Kendra blinked and Raxtus was back by the green dragon, slashing through his wing. The green dragon was now struggling to fly. With another fast motion, Raxtus was atop the green dragon and was pushing him toward the ground below. Raxtus pinned him against the soil. Raxtus used an aggressive tone and talked to the dragon, "If you want to live, Baramot, you will never touch this girl or anyone with her again!" The dragon nodded with fear in his eyes.

Raxtus reared back and unloaded a plume of healing breath. Each one of the dragon's wounds immediately healed.

"Thank you," the other dragon acknowledged, "Your mercy is greatly appreciated." He, ashamed, flew off.

"Wow," Marat commented, "you have a very trustworthy but powerful dragon on your side."

Raxtus landed on the Perch and immediately changed to a human. He ran to her and hugged her. Marat, awkward, left.

"I'm so sorry about that."

"It wasn't your fault; you defended me."

"No, I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"You had to. You let him go. I've done worse."

"And yet I consider you innocent."

"And I do as well."

"And yet neither of us are."

"Is anyone?"

After a long pause, Raxtus mentioned, "Your brother and grandfather are watching us."

"Let's go somewhere private."

Raxtus grabbed her hand and they jumped off of the Perch. Raxtus transformed. Kendra rode atop Raxtus as he did tricks in the air. The ride was exhilarating. He would climb, then dive left, then dive right, then make a loop and spiral out of it. Then he did a whole new combination. He finally nosedived and they landed on the floor. He transformed again. He and Kendra sat together.

"You have a unicorn horn, right?"

It was true. She had never been able to give the horn back to Bracken. She had carried it in her pocket every day and transferred it to her new clothes every morning. It had been washed once, but it was fine. She brought it out now. "Bracken's first horn."

"Your boyfriend, I understand."

Kendra didn't know what to say.

"Don't think I didn't notice your little interaction as he left you here."

"It was… never anything like this," Kendra managed to get out. She was careful to use past tense.

"Can I see the horn?"

The reluctance Kendra would normally have was overpowered by Raxtus's feeling of betrayal. "Just… don't break it or anything, okay?" She handed over the horn.

Raxtus held it in his hands and closed his eyes in concentration. Suddenly, the grooves in the horn flashed blue. "Here." He handed it back.

You can hear my thoughts through it now, Kendra heard him think, it will turn blue when it is me, and will stay normal when it it Bracken. If we both try to think to you at the same time, we will hear each other's thoughts. We need to avoid that.

"It's perfect. Now I can talk to you any time!"

"But still come back and visit, okay? I still want to see you in the flesh."

"And I do, too. Thanks, Raxtus. For saving me and for the horn." [1]

"And thanks for coming. Do you want to fly around a bit before returning?"

"Sure."


	3. Chapter 3 - A Telepathic Conversation

_Raxtus, Kendra thought, bringing the horn out from her pocket, can you talk to me?_

 _Of course. I've been kind of lonely._

 _What about your family?_

 _You know Celebrant is dead and my only mother is the fairies. Celebrant never cared about me until recently._

 _Yes, but your brothers and sisters?_

 _All killed in the battle. Not that I care much. They wouldn't blink if I got killed. So why should I care? But I do a little._

 _I couldn't possibly know what that feels like, but it must feel horrible. I'm so sorry._

 _Well, Dromadus cared about his family, and look where he's ended up. No other dragon wants to follow his example._

 _I would. He's the only other nice dragon I've met. I kind of admire him for what he did._

 _And that is why mortals are the superior race. I'm probably the only dragon to ever love. Not just to love a mortal, but to love at all. Dragons don't love each other; they don't even know what love is. When a dragon wants to have children, he picks whichever female best suits him - perhaps the best-looking one - and they lay eggs. Then they abandon each other and their children. At some point, one will probably kill the other in a battle for the title of Dragon King. Neither cares whether or not the other one dies. We kill without reason, like how Baramot tried to kill you. That's why we're better locked up in sanctuaries. It took the dragons' escape for me to realize that._

 _But Raxtus, there's something else you have to realize. You are nothing like them! You might not be proud to be a dragon, but make dragons make you proud. You're the Dragon King! Get the dragons to be more caring. Get them to be more like you. Or Dromadus. I know you can't fix a dragon, but you can help._

 _Thank you Kendra. That helped._

 _But you'd still be the only Raxtus. At least to me. No one can replace you._

 _Not even me?_ Kendra was startled when she heard the third party. Only one other creature could communicate through the horn. Bracken. Kendra almost swore for her first time. After all these months of no communication, he decided to eavesdrop on the one conversation she needed to be kept private.

 _Kendra, who is this? A dragon! How did he manage to communicate with you!? Kendra, listen. You have to stay away from dragons._

 _You don't understand!_

 _No, I think I do. Some dragons can taint your thoughts, almost like mind control. Don't worry. I think I can locate him, since he's used my magic to talk with you._

 _No! Leave him alone!_

There was no response. Kendra hoped desperately that he got her last message. She sat down. What was wrong with her? Now both Bracken and Raxtus felt betrayed by her, yet she loved both of them. Not to mention she was only fourteen. Kendra tried to talk to Bracken, to explain herself, but there was no answer.


	4. Chapter 4 - Bracken's Plot

Bracken needed to protect Kendra. And himself. Even if Kendra really did meet a friendly dragon (impossible!), he needed to protect his relationship with her. He didn't want his heart broken. So, he headed to Wymroost, the most probable place Kendra would have met a dragon, armed with his second horn.

When he arrived at Blackwell Keep, Marat greeted him. Bracken despised dragons, and, therefore, didn't much like wizards, but he acted friendly.

"Another surprise inspection?" Marat asked.

"No, but I can if you want. I'm here for… the same reason as Kendra."

"Yes. This secret business is starting to get to me. I should know. I'm the caretaker, am I not?"

"I'm sorry. I'd tell you, really, I just don't want to cross a dragon at times like this. I can assure you it is for the good of the preserve."

"I know that. I trust the dragon you're working with. Come in."

 _Strange_ , Bracken thought, _Kendra seems to have found herself a friendly dragon_.

Bracken entered the keep and, instead of going to the Perch, exited through a side door that exited onto a road. Horn drawn, he left the protection of the road and followed his instincts and the feel of his magic. It was almost like an internal compass, pointing to where the dragon was. He finally found a cave. The magic was definitely coming from inside it. As he approached the cave, he heard sounds of the dragon inside stirring. He dove into a bush. The dragon emerged. Bracken was surprised. This dragon looked nothing like most other dragons. For one, he was half the size of some of the largest dragons. Also, he was white and seemed to glow like fairies did. Maybe it was a side affect of stealing Bracken's magic. The dragon stopped near Bracken's bush. Bracken gripped the horn and charged toward the dragon. He caught the dragon off guard. The dragon only managed a weak swat with his claw, which was easily dodged. Bracken leapt at the dragon's chest and plunged the horn through his scales into his flesh. Bracken kicked off and ran away. Back near his bush, he watched the dragon die. But it didn't. It did seem to endure a minor flesh wound, but was somehow not affected by the magic.

Raxtus tried his best to be paralyzing. It worked. Bracken could not move.

"Fool, you can't kill me with my own source of magic." Raxtus tried extra hard to be overbearing. If Bracken (for, surely, this must be Bracken) escaped his paralysis, his rapidly forming plan would fail. He couldn't prevent Bracken's speech, but he didn't need to.

"How? What do you mean? This is my horn!"

"Oh, do you _really_ not remember me?"

"Of course not. I choose not to affiliate myself with dragons."

"Well, you did with one. You weren't any younger than 200 at the time. His name was Raxtus. I am Raxtus."

"Who is Raxtus?"

"My, my, have you come down with a case of elderly dementia? I really cannot believe you have forgotten such an important detail. I guess I must explain.

"Before I was born, when I was an egg, all my siblings in my nest were eaten. But the Fairy Queen saw something in me. Something worth saving. Of course, you never actually cared about me. But I was young then and I thought I actually meant something in the world."

"What do you mean I never actually cared about you?"

There were tears in Raxtus's eyes now. "I was raised by the fairies. You… you used to babysit me. You were my favorite. You were like my father. The father I never really had. Celebrant was no father to me. I saved your life once by healing your fatal burns after you fell into a soup cauldron. And I saved you again when you fell off a cliff. And now, you try to kill me over a girlfriend. And that not-so-small detail of me, the dragon of fairykind, the dragon who trusted you, accepted you, loved you, is gone. But none of that matters, does it, because I'm a dragon. I'll tell you what, I wish I wasn't a dragon. I wish I was a fairy, a half-man, a mortal, anything but a dragon. You know why? Because every other dragon I know is merciless and selfish and judgemental. And that's what you are! I don't know why Kendra ever liked you. Maybe once you were a decent being, but now, you might as well be a ruthless dragon. The kind you hate."

Raxtus let that sink in. After a minute, he said ferociously, "And you know what I could do?" He pounced on Bracken and held a talon to his neck. "I could kill you right now and end this whole turmoil. I could be with Kendra and be happy for once in my life. I could pull myself out of my misery right now if I just killed you right now." Raxtus was starting to break down.

He took a few shallow breaths, trying to calm down. "But, unlike you, I can't kill you. I can't do it. Because my philosophy is to not kill without reason. But I have a reason. And yet I hesitate. Because I am unlike you. In fact, I have only resorted to killing once. I killed Gavin, Kendra's former love interest. She made a mistake in her choice. Gavin tried to kill her. Only in that moment, to save Kendra, did I kill. He tasted good, too. Let Kendra choosing you not be a mistake, otherwise I will not hesitate to kill you. And although I am not a seer, I predict me being forced to kill you. My only fear is that it will be too late, and the one person I love will get hurt. Do not let that happen. If she made a mistake, contact her through that horn of yours and tell her. Right now." Raxtus broke the paralysis. Bracken suddenly sprinted away from him.

"Nope!" Raxtus said, pinning Bracken with a claw, "Wrong move."

Raxtus approached Bracken and quickly saw that his talon had punctured where Bracken's heart probably was. "Bracken!" he yelped.

He quickly used his healing breath weapon. The wound was fixed, but Bracken wasn't breathing. He transformed to a human and performed CPR. He breathed in his mouth, pumped his chest. Breathe, pump, breathe, pump. "Bracken, no, you have to live! Please don't die! Please don't die!" Bracken's eyes opened. "Bracken! You're alive! Thank the Fairy Queen!"

Bracken started to struggle, but Raxtus had his hands on Bracken's chest and Bracken was weak. "Just because I saved your life doesn't mean I'm letting you go." Raxtus sighed. "Why do you struggle? You know you can't outrun a dragon. And I've demonstrated twice how I have no malice." Realization dawned on him. "It's because these accusations are like torture. But accusations are only torture if they're true."

Raxtus reverted to his dragon form.

"I have no mean to torture you, but I have to make you realize one more thing. So, unicorns cannot lie, correct?"

"You are correct."

"Just a random question. What would happen if the fairies fought against the Knights of the Dawn? Don't give me that look. The demons have done it. The dragons have done it. What if the fairies are next? Kendra would undoubtedly stay loyal to her family. You two would probably meet at some point. What would you do, kill her or protect her?"

Bracken didn't respond, even when Raxtus released his paralysis momentarily.

"As I thought. You hesitate. You know the right answer. Go on, say it, "If I was ordered by my own kind to kill Kendra Sorenson, I would undoubtedly protect her instead."

No response from Bracken.

"You think you would kill her." He paused. "That's called conditional love, Bracken, and it doesn't work! I know Kendra would disobey orders to save either of us unless one of us betrayed her. And for me? I have concrete proof. Do you know what happened when Wymroost and every other one of my race wanted to eat her? I guarded her. Do you know what happened at the Battle of Dragons? I attacked _my own father_ to save Kendra. I expected to die; Celebrant could easily take me in a fair fight."

"But… I can't betray my family." It came out as a weak excuse.

"What if your family is wrong? Do you follow them no matter what, just because they birthed you? If I had sided my father, Kendra and Seth would have died. They wouldn't contain Celebrant. The dragons take over. This time there aren't enough members of Dragonwatch. The end. Game over. Fairy Kingdom? Gone. You die and everyone you love dies.

"But I might be treated as a hero. Maybe my family would love me more. But is that right?"

"Of course not."

"But if it came down to it, that is what you would do. That is what any other dragon would do, what any demon would do for power. You're not alone, but do you really want to be like them? I made that choice long ago, and it looks like we've chosen opposite."

There was another long pause. "You know, Bracken, we could be friends. If you changed few things about you, we really could. I want be friends, but you don't."

"Well, maybe in different conditions, it could work."

"That's the one thing I can't get through to you. I don't care about conditions. A good friend, a good boyfriend, a good husband, would never turn on the other. No matter what.

"I'm giving you one more chance, Bracken. Don't waste it. If you do, I think you know the price. By the way, I'm sure Kendra would be very upset with your whole excursion."

Raxtus released his paralysis and Bracken scampered away. Raxtus couldn't help adding one last jab. "By the way, if you ever need me to save your life, I'd be delighted to extend my streak to four."


	5. Chapter 5 - Science Class

As Bracken disappeared, Raxtus thought to Kendra. _Kendra, are you there? I need to talk to you!_

 _Is it urgent?_ She thought back. Kendra was actually in the middle of science class.

 _Yes._

"May I go to the restroom, please?"

"Of course, Kendra."

As Kendra walked down the hall, she thought, _You didn't hear me say that, did you?_

 _I did._

 _Just ignore it._

Kendra arrived at the bathroom and entered a stall. _Thanks, you got me out of a boring science lecture. Now what's the problem?_

 _Bracken. He tried to kill me._

 _Raxtus, I swear, if you are just jealous of him and are lying to me so that we break up-_

 _No, he really did. He stabbed me with his second horn. But it didn't work because I'm fairykind. I tried to teach him a lesson. He tried to run away and I accidentally stabbed him. I swear - I didn't mean it. If I did, Bracken would be dead. I managed to revive him through my breath and CPR. He's fine now._

 _Whoa, whoa. I don't want my boyfriends to start kissing each other! I haven't even gotten a kiss from either of them yet!_

 _Ha, ha, you're so funny_. Raxtus thought dryly.

 _But really, I don't hold anything against you._

 _Ask Bracken about it. Unicorns can't lie. I he doesn't respond, you have your answer._

 _Okay. I will. Thanks for talking with me._

And now for Bracken. _Bracken? Can you hear me?_

 _Yeah._

 _Where have you been? I couldn't talk to you for months!_

 _I had my hands full._ That wasn't a lie. Bracken had carried many things at one point.

 _With what?_

 _Okay, I was taking a vacation. I need time to relax._

 _Oh, because talking to me is so stressful._

 _Look, Kendra I'm sorry, okay. What do you want to talk to me about?_

 _Just one question: did you just attack Raxtus?_

There was only silence.

 _Answer me, Bracken! If you don't answer right now, our relationship is-_

 _I can't answer._

 _Actually you can. You just choose not to answer because you don't want to tell me the truth. Because the truth is that you just tried to kill him!_

 _He was threatening to me._

 _Why were you there in the first place?_

 _Good point. Look, I thought he was threatening our relationship._

 _Full of anger,_ Kendra responded _, What relationship?_

She put the horn away.

 _Wait, Kendra!_

 _I'm ignoring you._

Kendra would have shattered the horn if it wasn't her only connection to Raxtus. She walked back to class.

"Kendra, where were you? You were gone for fifteen minutes!"

Having a chat with my now ex-boyfriend, she thought.


	6. Chapter 6 - Another Visit to Wymroost

Kendra laid in her bed, sleepless. She was thinking about Bracken.

I can't trust him right now, but can I love him still? Maybe that trust can be repaired eventually? But what about Raxtus? Kendra suddenly had a morbid thought. If Kendra ditched Bracken for Raxtus, would Bracken keep trying to kill Raxtus until he succeeded? He would have endless opportunities; Raxtus would never kill him. Then she realized what she had been missing. Raxtus would never kill anyone, but Bracken would kill just to get his girlfriend back. Had she misjudged Bracken when he met him? Was she too concerned with his appearance and the fact that he was a unicorn to recognized the lack of values and a good character? Or had he been hiding it all along and now his true colors were showing? She then realized why she liked both of them. They were different, they stood out from the crowd. Just like her. She was by no means a regular mortal. But Bracken was different in a bad way and Raxtus was different in a good way. Bracken was the bad kid in a good crowd, but Raxtus was a good kid in a bad crowd. Maybe Bracken's crowd covered up his true identity. And that was such a good description of Raxtus. He looked up to the rest of his crowd and wanted to be like them, but his morals got in the way. Wouldn't any person want to get the good kid out of the bad crowd? To get him away from them and realize that he doesn't have to be like them, because they're awful people and he knows it. But it was all he was hanging on to. Maybe if Kendra extended her hand to Raxtus, he could hang on her. [2] She could save his life in a different way. Kendra pledged to herself that she would tell her grandparents everything in the morning.

"Well," Grandpa said, "It seems like you've dug yourself into a pretty deep hole."

"I don't want this to influence you decision, but a relationship with the Dragon King would be very diplomatic," Ruth commented.

"True," Stan agreed, "That could be beneficial in the future, but Kendra, it's you life."

"Are you going to give me any actual advice except diplomacy?"

"Sorry, Kendra, this is a complex relationship. I think you might know it better than we do."

"Just tell me what you think I should do."

Stan took a breath. "I, personally, would have to say Raxtus. Bracken is the more selfish choice - which is fine to choose, but what makes say Raxtus is that a relationship with Bracken could hurt you late on. But it's entirely your choice."

"That didn't change anything, it just confirmed what I was already thinking. Thanks. Can I visit Wymroost?"

Ruth volunteered, "I'll come with you. Just let me finish breakfast."

"Oh, by the way," Grandpa mentioned, "You two are going to be hosting Thanksgiving."

Kendra returned to her room and pulled out Bracken's horn.

 _Hey, Kendra!_

 _Get lost, Bracken._

Silence.

 _Raxtus!_

 _Umm, yes Kendra?_ He sounded groggy.

 _I'm coming to visit. Is it a good time?_

 _Yeah, that's fine, I - OW! - I just woke up. I'll be waiting for you under the Perch invisible. That should prevent another dragon attack. Have Marat escort you. You can never take too much precaution - OW!_

 _Do you bump into things that often every day?_

 _Nah. I'm just concentrating on talking to you instead of where I'm - OW! - going._

 _Okay, well I'll let you go so that you don't run into anything else. See you soon!_

 _Bye!_

Kendra and Grandma Sorenson were pulled out of the barrel. "Thanks," she told the goblin, "Do you know where Marat is?"

"Probably near the entrance. The real entrance, I mean."

"Okay, thanks again."

Kendra found Marat near the entrance. "Could you escort me to the Perch, please?"

"More of this business with Raxtus?"

"Yes."

The look he gave her was so exasperated that Kendra giggled in spite of herself.

"Oh, and may I mention: that unicorn came in saying he was doing the same business as you."

"Oh, is that the excuse he used? He tried to kill Raxtus!"

"Oh, I thought you two were… I must have judged wrong."

"We were. Not since that happened."

"I see. Now let us get this business with Raxtus over with."

Kendra and Marat stood upon the Perch and Kendra killed Raxtus's name. He flew. Up from below at top speed. Marat jumped back in fear. Kendra and Raxtus laughed.

"It's instinct. Dealing with dozens of dragons makes you realize you have to be prepared."

Kendra climbed on Raxtus and they flew down, doing one loop along the way.

"So, Raxtus, how do you feel?"

"More confident."

"Really? That's great!"

"Yeah. Talking to Bracken made me. realize a few things. I learned my own lessons. When I saved his life, the Fairy Queen granted me my human avatar. But she also offered to make me a wizard."

"And you didn't!"

"I started thinking about what you said. I realized that I should embrace being a dragon. And it's the different creatures that make a difference."

"Is your mortal form the same?" Kendra asked with hope in her voice.

He turned mortal. "Yes."

Kendra embraced him. "Raxtus, you've come so far. You say yourself that you hate the other dragons. So don't be like them. Be you. And don't do it for me. Do it for yourself."

"Thanks. I'll remember that."

There was a pause and then they pulled apart.

"So, how's it going with Bracken?"

"Not well. I talked with my grandparents. They said I should probably avoid him."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He's a jerk - no, a murderer.

"If anyone, I should be sorry for almost getting you killed by hooking up with Bracken at all. He just seemed like such a good person - but maybe I was blinded by his looks and his background. But I think I saw through that with you."

"So you're done with Bracken?"

Kendra hesitated, but didn't know why. "Yes." That should have helped her let go of Bracken, but it just made her want him more.

Raxtus had butterflies in his stomach. He had told himself he would ask her when she ditched Bracken. He had to be brave and just say it. What was the worst that could happen? The let's-just-be-friends talk? He was prepared for that.

"Kendra, do you think we could…" Raxtus forced himself to say it. "Do you think we could get… married? I've dreamed of doing it ever since I saw a wedding for the first time."

Kendra caught a reactive outburst on her tongue; that would crush Raxtus. The idea of marriage panicked her, but she managed to stay calm. "We definitely could… eventually. See, it's a big deal. I have to be a bit older and I have to have parent consent - at least I definitely should. Maybe I could introduce them to you - in mortal form, of course. If you acted normal enough and nice enough, it should go fine. Maybe in about… four years?"

"I can wait four years; I've already waited five hundred!" Raxtus was excited now. "Um, is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"No, I just wanted to tell you about Bracken. And see you."

"Should I take you back?"

"Unless you want me to stay."

"You should probably get back to Fablehaven before you get an ogre-shaped hole in your house. Climb on."

The joke about Seth and ogres would never get old, apparently.

They rode up to the Perch while Kendra told Raxtus, "I'm so glad you kept your dragon form."

They landed on the Perch and Kendra got off. When Raxtus switched to mortal form,Kendra kissed him on his cheek. He blushed so much Kendra thought he'd break a few blood vessels. "Stay confident, Raxtus." She left, and the last thing she was thinking about was Bracken.


	7. Chapter 7 - Raxtus's Dragon Friend

Raxtus practiced in his cave. "Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson, as you know, Kendra and I - no, they probably won't know - Mr. and Mrs. Sorenson, while Kendra has stayed at her grandparents' house, we met. We've been together for a while, and we're hoping for your permission to get married. Yes, that's good, but maybe I could flaunt a little more, make them say yes!"

"Um, Raxtus?"

Raxtus jumped, startled. It was a dragon. He kept his back turned to him. (It was a male voice.) "Please do not invade on my privacy. This is a private matter that you would not understand."

"I'll admit, I saw your interaction with the Fairykind girl as well. But… I think I do understand. I wanted to talk to you. I think I'm kind of similar to you."

"I will warn you, a surprise attack on the King is highly disgraceful, and, if found out, you would be killed."

"No, I wouldn't think of challenging you."

Raxtus finally recognized the voice. "Artus, is that you?" Artus was the largest dragon in the preserve. The only reason he wasn't King was because his size made him clumsy and made it hard to fly.

"Yeah. I secretly kind of… admire mortals. I thought you'd understand."

Raxtus had never expected Artus to like mortals. Nevertheless, he turned mortal, and Artus did, too. Artus never would have fit in the cave otherwise.

"How did you get a human form?"

"Well, being overseen by the Fairy Queen during your childhood can have some perks."

"Anyway, I never get to leave the sanctuary like you, but I've always wondered why we treat mortals how we do. I've always followed along with whatever everyone else did - I've killed a few mortals - but I always regretted it. I felt awful every time I fought a mortal, like, what was wrong with me, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah. I fought for a bit on the dragon's side. That was bad, but when I switched, I set up Celebrant to be killed - I set my own father up to be killed. It felt awful, even if he was a lousy father and probably deserved it. I would have become a Dromadus if Kendra hadn't talked to me."

"You didn't kill Celebrant?"

"No, I couldn't have. I got him down and Kendra finished the job. I never could have killed him."

"So you want to marry the girl who killed your father?"

"I told you he deserved it. And if she hadn't, the world would have ended as we know it. I think you and I both want the mortals to live."

"Yeah. I just wish I could talk to one."

"I have an idea."

Artus became excited. "Really?"

"Yeah. I'll introduce you to Kendra's brother, Seth."

"That would be just great."

There was a pause.

"You know," Raxtus said, I think I just made my first dragon friend. It's good to know you're not the only one. And I think I want to announce something. Kendra's former boyfriend has been trying to kill me. So, just in case: If I should fall to a means other than a dragon, you will take my place as King. I will announce that after you leave."

"Thank you. That means a lot. I believe we just formed the first friendship since our origins, and it is a friendship that will never be broken."

Raxtus nodded, then thought to Kendra. _Can you send Seth back when convenient? Of course, you could come, too. I have a new dragon friend and he wants to talk to a mortal._

 _Okay. My grandma might complain, but I'd love to meet him, and I'm sure Seth would, too._

 _Well, Seth won't be disappointed by this dragon's size._

 _Okay, we'll come back._

"Grandma, we have to go back."

"Really? We just left!"

"Sorry. Raxtus just contacted me and told me that he wanted to see Seth."

Grandpa laughed. "There are much more annoying situations in diplomacy, trust me."

"Well, then how about you take them."

Grandpa stopped laughing. "Fine. When Seth gets out of the pool, we'll go."

"Can you guys please stop viewing this as a diplomatic strategy and realize that Raxtus could be my future husband?"

Her grandparents seemed to be in shock. "Oh," Grandpa finally said, "you're thinking about that already." He paused. "We hoped we wouldn't have to bring this up, but you and Raxtus can't get married."

"Why not? He can take normal form now. He could-"

"Well, it's not impossible, it would just be very… difficult. The big problem is that he has no birth certificate, no traceable family, no last name, even." Grandpa sighed. "I… suppose you could do it unofficially, but-"

"No! It's Raxtus's dream to do the whole procession, the normal, human way. Of course, I told him he'd have to wait a few years, but he's so excited. It would crush him if I told him we couldn't. There has to be a way we can work it out. I mean, we could make up a last name, get him a birth certificate somehow. Could we say he was from another country? Then he could register for citizenship. Could we use that?"

"I think it's possible," Grandma said, "but we just need to know how."

"Okay," Kendra said. She brought her new laptop into her room and made search after search after search until Seth was ready.

Kendra, Seth, and Grandpa arrived at the Perch yet again. "Raxtus," Kendra called, "we have Seth."

"Why am I here, again?"

"For a sacrifice," Kendra responded casually.

"Your not serious!"

"Dead serious. See, a mortal has to be sacrifices to every new Dragon King within the first year of induction."

Raxtus, laughing hysterically, became visible. "I'm sorry, Kendra. I couldn't hold it in any longer. The look on his face!" He burst into hysterics again.

"Did you two plan this?"

"Nope. I promise, I had no idea he was there."

"There wasn't any planning," Raxtus confirmed. "Anyway, we really took you here for you to meet Artus." Artus flew up into view. He was enormous, almost three times the size of Raxtus.

"He's the actual dragon your'e being sacrificed to," Kendra joked.

Seth just gave her an annoyed look.

Raxtus continued, "This is my friend Artus. He-"

"Wait, I thought you had no friends. Except Kendra, of course."

"Not until today. He heard my conversation with Kendra and decided to talk to me about how he admired mortals."

"Well, not really admire, but… I hate to eat them. But I've never had a conversation with a mortal before, so after this, I think I'll know where I stand."

"Well," said Seth, "Raxtus, if you're sure he won't eat me, I will."

"No, he's genuine."

"Okay, then. Here goes nothing." He mounted Artus and they flew off.

Kendra then mounted Raxtus and he took off. He flew at a slow, calm pace.

"So, Kendra, any topic for today?"

"I have… kind of bad news."

"What?"

"Well, my grandparents think that we can't get married because of some mortal stuff, but I think I can find a way around it."

Raxtus was panicked. He landed and turned human. "You think?"

"I won't lie to you, Raxtus. There is a possibility that we can't get married. But I have a solution. With some more research I think I can work out a strategy. See, the government has records of each person when you get married, they add that to their profile. If you don't have a profile… that would have some problems. However, each country has its own government. If you want to live in a new country, they create a new record for you. We would have to lie about some information. For example, you've probably noticed that humans have two names or more. We would have to make up a last name. When we got married, my last name would change to yours. We also have to pretend you're from a different country. However, the government does a background check when you immigrate, so they would look at your profile from the other government. But there might be some poorer countries that don't have profiles for their people if we said you were from one of those countries. However, they might not let you in if you have no background information. As a last resort, we could also take someone's identity and pretend you are them. The other person would just have to lie low. If it was a caretaker of a preserve, it wouldn't be hard."

"Well, it seems like you know what you're talking about. It sounds like it would work, but there are the flaws you found."

"Oh, by the way, there's something most humans do a while before they get married. It's called dating. You go do something together, like go out to dinner, or watch a movie, or-"

"A movie? That would be amazing!"

"Well, except that you're stuck here… wait, Raxtus, you can leave the sanctuary! Why don't you? You could come visit me whenever you want!"

"Well, I'm afraid of Marat. I'm afraid that if I leave he'll send a search party for me or something. It's not a good time to leave the sanctuary."

"Then we'll tell Marat the truth. He's been dying to know."

"That would be good. Great, actually."

"And one last thing: usually you invite your family to the wedding. There isn't anyone you would want to invite, is there?"

"No, even if anyone from my family were alive, I wouldn't because they'd just kill everyone there. Not to mention they couldn't leave the sanctuary"

"And there's also your best man. He should be a good friend of yours."

Raxtus knew who that would be. He'd ask Marat for special permission for him to come.

That got Kendra thinking. Who would be her maid of honor? Tess? Could her cousin even be her maid of honor? She couldn't think of a single other girl she could invite. _Oh well, four years is a long time,_ she thought. At least it was for her.

"The boy usually initiates the date and takes the girl somewhere she'd want to go. You should want to go there, too - don't take me to, like, a hair salon or something. By the way, I like movies. And one more thing: do it more often than you think you need to. What feels like a year to you is five to me. I'll see you soon, then."

"Yeah. I'll check on Artus real quick. You can come." He morphed back into a dragon.

They found Artus in dragon form, the conversation clearly over. "Hey Raxtus," he said, "well, this one's quite a… bold one. And very sarcastic." There was no reaction from Seth, who looked confused. Artus was probably speaking some dragon language close enough to Silvian for Kendra to understand. "I heard you talking with Kendra, though. I like her. Obedient, but if she has to, she'd break a few rules for the greater good. She's the opposite of other dragons: caring, compassionate… the list goes on."

"Thank you," Kendra responded.

"You could understand me?"

"She's fairykind," Raxtus explained, "and Draconic is amazingly similar to Silvian. Nearly the same words but with a different alphabet."

"In that case, I am glad I didn't insult you-" he chuckled "-not that I could have. Oh, your brother, is he…"

"He heard nothing. He's a shadow charmer, though."

"Interesting family you got there."

"You don't know what we and our ancestors have gone through in the magical community."

"I've heard a few things."

Seth finally spoke. "Well, I guess it's about time I became fairykind. This is annoying."

"Seth, you couldn't possibly."

"'Cause I'm a shadow charmer?"

"No, because you're a boy."

Seth laughed in spite of himself.

"Yes, yes, the fairies and their… feminine nature," Raxtus commented, "An astrid, maybe."

Kendra and Seth both laughed at the thought of Seth being half owl.

"What?"

"Sorry, Raxtus. It's just… I'm picturing Seth as a half-owl.

"Sometimes I don't realize why things being different is comical to mortals."

Kendra thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, that doesn't make much sense."

"All right, enough chitchat, I'm ready to go back," Seth said.

"Okay. Raxtus, Artus, could you take us up?" Kendra asked.

"Climb on." Artus crouched down for Seth to mount him. Raxtus didn't bother; he was small enough for Kendra to hop on. She and Seth both got on and were flown to the Perch.

As they left, Kendra said one more thing. "Don't forget that date, Raxtus."

He seemed to smile. "How could I?"

Seth made a disgusted face. Kendra nudged him with her elbow. "Hey, that'll be you in a year or so. Or maybe now."

Seth blushed.

"I knew it!"

"Just someone from school, not some fairy or weird magical creature like you."

"Aw, whatever. Let's go home."


	8. Chapter 8 - Preparing for War

"Listen, fairy people, I am under orders of the Queen." Bracken didn't lie, but rather misguided. The speech he was about to present was not by order of the Fairy Queen. However, he did take orders from her sometimes, so the statement was true.

"We have just conquered the dragons at the Battle of the Dragons in an epic victory. The dragons are now back in their sanctuaries, but that is exactly where they started. They still pose just as much of threat now as they did before the battle. Don't you see? This has shown us that we cannot restrain the dragons forever. We have to eliminate the threat, or the dragons will eventually win."

At the same time as Bracken, Raxtus started his speech. "We are coming across some bad relations with the Fairy People, worse than with any other race. I currently have a unicorn, Bracken, particularly intent on killing me. I do not believe he can succeed. However, in the rare case that I should fall to means other than a dragon," - the whole crowd seemed to hold its breath - "Artus shall take my place as King."

There was a torrent of shouts and conversation consisting of things like "Can he do that?", "Why doesn't he just kill him?", and "Artus? Really?"

"One at a time, please. I have chosen Artus because he is my…" Raxtus struggled for a word, any word that would make sense "…pupil. He shares the same ideas and values as me, and I believe he would continue to care for his people as I am." This was a new idea for dragons, the King caring for his subjects. The dragons seemed to be okay with it. After all, you can't complain that much about someone ensuring your safety.

"And I think I heard 'why don't you just kill him.' I could do that very easily and protect myself, of course, but I am sacrificing my safety for the good of you all. If I did kill him, it would anger the Fairy Queen. I told you, we are coming across bad relationships with the Fairy People. It could start an upscale war. And if there's any time they can wipe us out, it's now, when our numbers are low and we are weak. We have to stay vigilant and be prepared for a battle with the Fairy People."

That was exactly what was transporting in the Fairy Kingdom, where Bracken continued, "The time to act is now. And we can start with the Dragon King by storming Wymroost!" There were calls of affirmation. "We are no cowardly Fairy Folk. We can fight, and we will!" He let that sink in for a few minutes.

Then he continued, "If you are with me, come to the Wymroost shrine tomorrow before the fifteenth hour. That is when we will attack. Any stragglers can come straight through. I hope to meet you there." Bracken left the the stage. Raxtus returned to his cave. Both crowds dispersed. And both crowds were ready for what was about to happen.


	9. Chapter 9 - Kendra and Bracken

Bracken had a day to do the next part of the plan. He knew Kendra jogs every morning, and he knows the path. Before she woke up, Bracken was in place.

As Kendra rounded the corner, she saw him. "Hey, Kendra. Look, I know you don't want to, but we need to talk."

She stopped. "You're right; I don't."

"You know we can't let this relationship keep going how it is. We can't have it just hanging on by a thread. We need to talk through it and make a decision. Me or Raxtus. You have to decide, and I think you need to talk through it to do so."

"I hate it, but you're right."

Kendra was only doing this so that she could break up with him. But he would change her mind.

"Let's walk."

Kendra followed Bracken into the forest, the awkward silence growing. They emerged into the lake with the Fairy statue. The silence is even more awkward as they climb into a boat and paddle to the small island. They do not turn into dandelions when stepping upon the island, but are transported to the Fairy Kingdom. In Bracken's bedroom.

"I'm so sorry, Kendra. I just want to…" He brushes a strand of hair behind Kendra's ear. She pushes him away. "Please, Kendra. I just…" he touched her cheek, but she turned away.

Bracken tackled her to the bed. Kendra struggled, but Bracken's mouth managed to find hers. Kendra struggles a bit more, but then is taken aback. It just felt so… right. She put her arms around Bracken. After a few seconds, she turned her head. She was only fourteen, after all. "Okay, okay," she said, "that's enough for now."

Bracken attacks again, kissing her hard. She threw her arms at his head and managed to detach him.

"That's enough, I said!"

"Okay, sorry. I just… got carried away." Them both standing upright, he embraced her. "Can you forgive me?"

Kendra thought about how _right_ it felt, how she had liked Bracken from the beginning. She sighs. "Maybe. Maybe I can."


	10. Chapter 10 - A Battle Raging

The Fairy Queen had called Raxtus to her palace. She now approached him holding something. Raxtus finally remembered what it was called: a tablet.

"This is the security feed from Bracken's bedroom. Do what you want with it. You deserve to know what happened.

Raxtus took the tablet back to Wymroost and watched the video. He almost crushed it in his hands. _Kendra, you need to come right now. Don't even ask anyone. Just get over here!_ If she responded, Raxtus wouldn't have known.

The video ended again. "What is that! I may not know much about relationships,but I'm absolutely sure that is called cheating."

"Raxtus, you don't understand. It was against my will. He just tackled me to the bed and started kissing me. I tried to get away."

"Until you didn't." Raxtus scrolls back through the video. "There. You stop struggling, you smile, you embrace him. And you keep going. I don't even know what to say to you, Kendra. I really don't."

Kendra really hated to do it, but she had to. She'd done it to Bracken, so she had to do it to Raxtus to make up for it: she kissed him. But… it felt different than the one with Bracken. It felt so… wrong. But she had to keep going for Raxtus.

Raxtus pushed her away quickly. "Don't. You. Dare. Kiss. Me. That's what you did to Bracken! And if you think that's what a kiss means, I don't want one."

"That's not what I meant, Raxtus."

"Then what did you mean? That you meant that kiss and you actually love Bracken?"

"Yes, I do. I do love Bracken, and I have for almost year! And then you come in, and you make me doubt it, but I have still loved him for a year, and that doesn't just disappear in a moment. I love you, too Raxtus, but I can't seem to let go of him." As soon as it came out of her mouth: _I love you_ , she knew it wasn't true. This relationship, it wasn't love, was it? It was sympathy and comfort, but never love. She realized that she was the first and one of the only humans he'd ever met, and there is a very small chance she would be his true love. She hated to admit it, but Raxtus didn't even know what love was. He didn't love her, he just needed her. He needed her to solve his problems. He wanted her to be his girlfriend just so he could date her. He wanted to marry her just to have a wedding. Love should not be based upon the results. And love should not be sympathy. Love should be a feeling that two people have for each other. Kendra didn't have that feeling, and Raxtus didn't even know it existed.

Suddenly, a huge plume of fire lit up the sky.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Raxtus said, "I have to go stop your boyfriend from attacking us." He turned into a dragon.

"Raxtus…"

He didn't even turn back to look at Kendra as he flew off. Kendra ran after him.

Kendra arrived at the border of Wyrmroost, along with Raxtus and half the dragons in the sanctuary. There, they found over one hundred Fairy soldiers: human-sized fairies, unicorns, and even two astrids. And at the front of the pack, leading them, was none other than Bracken. Kendra had to blink a few times to believe it. She should have seen this coming, but it still surprised her. But the Fairy Queen… she never would have allowed this. But maybe she was wrong about her.

Kendra rushed to the gate, coming face-to-face with Bracken. "Don't do this!" she insisted, "you're not going to get me back that way."

A look of realization crossed his face, but was soon replaced by blind fury. He calmed down enough to say, "Kendra, join us. Be with me."

"N-no! I won't! You're attacking the dragons just to get back your girlfriend and for revenge! I doubt you've told _that_ to your army."

Bracken glared back at her, then walked away, back toward his army. Upon arriving, he turned around, crossed his arms, and shouted, "Attack!"

The army barreled through the gates, easily opening them with magic. They all spread immediately, which took the dragons by surprise. Only about five of the Fairy people were scorched, frozen, or otherwise killed before the army made it into the trees. Since it was impossible to fight the intruders from above, the dragons swooped down to the ground. Those who did made a wrong move. The Fairy people leaped from the bushes, swarming the grounded dragons like bees. Many managed to shake the humanoids from them, but after the dozens of weapons cut them, three dragons lay on the ground, dead. The opposition suffered nearly four times as many casualties, but still retained far superior numbers. Bracken had obviously done some planning.

Artus and Raxtus held back, surveying from the air. They wanted to avoid the fight. Instead they contributed by broadcasting their findings to the other dragons in Draconic.

Raxtus watched as the fight continued. The opposing army had only done so well because of their superior numbers, but it was still kind of sad. Raxtus noticed five dragon infants in a cave. He saw wings in the bushes nearby them. He shouted a warning, but the dragons were quickly surrounded. When the fairies and one unicorn finally retreated, the only thing left was five carcasses. This hurt Raxtus personally; it was just how all his siblings ended up and he almost did. He didn't know that dragons could cry, but the tears sprang to his eyes anyway. He suddenly couldn't fly properly. He quickly descended, regaining his composure so he could return to flying. He saw Kendra, but before he could say anything, he saw his nemesis.

Bracken saw Raxtus. He rushed toward him, dagger in hand, but Kendra stopped him in his tracks.

"No!" she yelled, "I won't let you!"

Blind with rage, without thinking, Bracken slit her arm.

Raxtus released his healing breath. "You… you monster! How could you do that to her?" He changed to human form and comforted Kendra.

Bracken was on his knees now, sobbing. No words could come out. He really was a monster. And Raxtus was a dragon. Raxtus was supposed to be the monster, but no. The unicorn cut an innocent little girl, while the dragon healed and protected her. There was something seriously wrong with Bracken for him to cut his girlfriend like that. He crawled over to Kendra, tears covering his face. "Kendra! Oh, Kendra, I'm so sorry. How could I have done this to you? I'm a monster, that's what I am. A cruel, savage monster."

"That's what I said."

"Raxtus! I know you two have a little competition going, but what if I'd said that to you? 'Yeah, you're just an excuse of a dragon. You have no worth.' What if I'd said that? Knowing you, you might have considered committing suicide!"

Raxtus cowered back as if he'd been struck. "Is… is that what you really think of me?"

"Of course not. But I don't think Bracken is a monster, either. Just let me talk with him!

"Bracken, I'll be honest, you've dug a hole about a mile deep with me, but you just dug your last shovelful. Now all you have to do is get out of that hole. I'm actually glad you just cut me because it just changed you in a good way. I know you would never do it again."

"I must apologize as well," Raxtus said humbly, "I also acted rashly. I'm sorry."

Kendra felt her way to Raxtus's hand and squeezed it.

"And I will never be able to make it up to you, Kendra, or even you, Raxtus, but I will try the best I possibly can. I am eternally in your debt."

"Now, go call off your troops, Bracken," Kendra said, "I know we'll meet again, but I'll return this anyway." She held out Bracken's first horn.

"But you and Raxtus-"

"Take it. It's not mine to keep."

"Okay." He took it.

"One last thing, Bracken. I… forgive you. Or I will. And… I love you."

He smiled, then scampered off.

Now, for the confession to Raxtus. This was the part Kendra hated to have to do. She avoided Raxtus's eyes. "There's… something we need to talk about."

That got Raxtus's attention. "What?"

"Please don't be mad or offended or doubt yourself, but… I'm breaking up with you."

Raxtus's eyes grew wide. "Was it… what I said about Bracken?"

"No, it was nothing you did, and nothing you could have done. It's just… not right. That feeling you're feeling toward me - it isn't love, Raxtus. And… I don't have that feeling, either. I would gladly be your friend, but no more."

"It's just, what about a date at the movies? And a wedding? I've wanted those things so much."

"That's the problem. Deep down, are you really being my boyfriend because you love me, or because you want to do those things."

"Well, I think you're a nice girl and I like you and you're nice to talk to…"

"That's called friendship. Isn't that how you feel about Artus?" After thinking, Raxtus nodded. "But let me tell you what: do you know what friends do? They go to the movies together." Kendra smiled at him, and he smiled back. "As for the wedding, I think eventually you'll find a girl you do love. And a wedding isn't all that much, really. The ceremony is actually very boring. The thing that makes it special is the genuine love each shares with each other. But you know what? I think we might be able to work something out."

"And what would that be?"

"It's a surprise."

"Can't wait to find out." He smirked.

"And there's one last thing friends do. They hug every once in a while." The two embraced. The sayed like that until Kendra heard something. No, she felt it. It was a thought being sent through the horn. Raxtus seemed to sense it, too."

 _All Fairy people, please stop and listen to me._

Raxtus rose into the air. "My dragon subjects, cease fighting until further notice. It appears the leader it calling of the attack."

Bracken waited until Raxtus finished before continuing. _I have learned something very important today. Even though dragons have done terrible things, there is still good in them. If we can find that good, then we can forgive. I request that each of you try their best to find good in theses dragons. You might be surprised by how much good they have. I call off the attack, and order you all to retreat peacefully back to our realm. Raxtus, I know you can hear me. I call for a truce._

Raxtus announced, "The leader has requested a truce. A truce that is accepted."

Raxtus and Bracken returned to the clearing where Kendra stood. Bracken spoke first. "Raxtus, I am sincerely sorry for any casualties that have occurred and accept full responsibility."

"I also mourn your losses," Raxtus replied.

Their conversation was interrupted by a humanoid creature with wings emerging from the treetops. The Fairy Queen. She lowered herself to the clearing. "Bracken, don't you dare start another war behind my back."

"Of course not, mother. I was stupid and resentful."

"Well, it looks like you guys worked this out in your own."

"We sure did," Kendra responded.

"Glad to see it. I will return to the realm with the others." She flew off.

The three watched her fly off. As their gaze returned to each other, Kendra spoke. "Bracken, I have made a decision about our relationship. I still don't trust you, and I'm not sure when I will, but… will you continue to be my boyfriend?"

Bracken smiled. "Of course."

The two embraced, and Raxtus joined in.

I used to think being in a relationship with Bracken was selfish. Now I realize it was the opposite. Raxtus could have the friend he deserved and could be given a platform to work with. Bracken could be kept in check and have his true good brought out of him, something only a full-time relationship could offer. We all got what we needed, even if there were few bumps along the way.

 **End of Book**

 **CHECK BACK FOR THE EPILOGUE, WHICH WILL BE POSTED THIS WEEK!**

 **A/N: And there it is! I know it was a bit short, but I actually managed to surprise myself with its length. When I first started writing this, I didn't expect it to exceed 5,000 words. Yet here I am at the end of a 9,000 word short novel. This is actually quite a feat, as it's the first full-length story I've ever finished. I typically lose interest soon after starting a book, hitting a standstill. If you've been checking, you'll have noticed that my initial excitement took me alll the way through chapter 8 and into chapter 9. I hit a standstill when I started on** _Frozen_ **on . I hit a standstill there when I discovered Star vs. the Forces of Evil and started writing about it. But, as you can see, I managed to nail doiwn the last few chapters. I'll be honest, you might not be looking at Chapter 10 right now if it weren't for** ZephyrVibes **, who reviewed telling me that he/she was intrigued. This got me to write the final chapter you see here. I actually didn't know chapter 10 would be the last until I started on it, when I realized that there was too little left of the story to break it into two chapters, and that the whole battle should be in one chapter. A very, very special thanks to** ZephyrVibes **; I don't think I could've done it without you. A note about Kendraxtus: I used to mildly ship Kendra and Raxtus, even though I knew it probably wouldn't happen. I guess I just think they'd be cute together... or maybe I just think Raxtus is cute. Kendra and Raxtus were actually supposed to end up together for most of the story. However, I realized that the relationship was a bit too rushed and out of character, and the message kind of sucked. Once I thought of getting Kendra and Bracken back together at the end, I was clinched on that idea, and I think I made the right decision. Review or PM me if you wanted Kendra and Raxtus together!**

 **Okay, one more thing: the moral of the story is about forgiveness and finding the good in people, NOT to have a relationship with a murderer. PLEASE do not confuse that!**

 **Overall, I have to give a big thank you to anyone reading this. I never expected this story to take off like it did. Thank you so much for the support and for reading!**

 **By the way, I am willing to betaread for anyone who needs a betareader, and I am completely open to answering any PM's or reviews and chatting, as long as you don't ask me to meet you in a dark alleyway. :D**

 **Over and out, MBFDIB.**


	11. Epilogue - One Year Later

As the credits started to scroll and the lights came on in the theater, Kendra glanced at the two boys beside her, the handsome unicorn on her left, and the boy with ice-blue hair lightly falling across his eyebrows on her right. The boy on her left spoke. "You know what couples do at the end of a movie, right?"

Kendra didn't have the time to tell him that it typically happened during the movie before his lips met hers. They kissed for a few seconds, then Kendra pulled away. After a moment, she felt lips on her right cheek; Raxtus had kissed her. Bracken, watching, erupted into laughter. The other two joined in. Raxtus laughed the hardest of them all.

They walked out of the building and into the warm summer light, Raxtus with his cup in hand, Bracken with popcorn. Raxtus gulped down some orange soda he'd chosen before the movie because the color intrigued him. "This… drink is very good!"

"Soda?" Kendra asked, "We can get you as much soda as you want!" She laughed. "Well, your teeth might fall out."

Raxtus grinned, showing off his perfect white smile. "Eh, I think I'll spare my enamel today."

Bracken remembered something. "Oh yeah! So, how'd you like your first indoor movie, Raxtus?"

"It was good. The soda was better, though."

"So you're really not going back to Wyrmroost?"

He shrugged. "I think I like it better with the humans." He drank some more, making a sad face when the sound of an empty cup was made. He tossed it into a trash can. Bracken did likewise with his food item, but not before taking a handful of the buttery popcorn. "But I might come back to mingle with my own kind every once in a while."

Kendra laughed. "Doubtful."

"Yeah, I might get my head torn off. Ah well, learn from your mistakes?" Raxtus said casually.

"Maybe you should learn from this mistake _before_ you make it." Kendra laughed uneasily; she was worried about what would happen to him if Raxtus returned.

"Yeah, I guess I'll just stay here with you." He gave her a playful nudge, and the two smiled at each other.

Bracken raised an eyebrow, addressing Raxtus. "Do I have to worry about you two when I take my trips back to the Fairy Kingdom?"

Raxtus's eyes widened in mock innocence. "Pff, of course not!" He winked at Kendra with a sly smile. His grin turned into a laugh that the other two took up on.

They reached a large vacant area in the parking lot. "You ready to go home?" Raxtus asked, calming down.

"Yeah, but make it a fun one." Kendra replied with a knowing smile. To her right, Bracken looked queasy. "C'mon, Bracken, it'll be fun!"

Bracken pondered for a few moments, then was interrupted by Raxtus's "Too late to take it back!"

Raxtus transformed, and the other two climbed on. Kendra had the front row seat, her arms around Raxtus's neck. Bracken was behind her, his arms around her waist. He had a smile on his face because, although he got nauseated, he enjoyed the thrill. Raxtus took off, his wings flapping as the trio gained altitude. Once they neared the stratosphere, Raxtus tucked his wings and nosedived, pulling up mere yards from the ground. As they passed a bank with alarms sounding, Raxtus lashed out his tail at a man making a break for it with a lumpy sack. "Nice one!" Kendra shouted over the wind.

"Thanks!" Raxtus ascended, then pulled off a tight loop. He flew high over the city, doing crazy turns and twists. Bracken hugged her tightly. As they leveled out, Raxtus turned to look at the other two. Kendra gave Raxtus a thumbs-up, and Bracken only gave him a scared look and a green face.

Those were her two boys, the ones she loved.

 **A/N: Well, there it is. This story is officially complete! This story had been a wild ride for me to write, and I am ecstatic to be able to share it with you all! Let me know what you thought!**

 **I'll clear up a few things for you that went unaddressed in the epilogue.**

 **\- Raxtus stepped down from his Dragon King position and left to the human society. The dragons probably would not treat him kindly due to his 'cowardice'.**

 **\- Raxtus lives in an apartment in Connecticut (the state Kendra lives in).**

 **\- Bracken lives in the Fairy Kingdom but spends long periods of time with Kendra in the human society.**

 **\- The last line means she loves Raxtus in a** ** _platonic_** **way.**

 **One final thank you to to my followers/favoriters: Rayah19, Rasadafgenti, ZephyrVibes, and wardentessa3, and a special thank you to ZephyrVibes, whose review inspired me to keep writing! And thank you to everyone reading this who has followed me through this journey!**

 **Ah, that great feeling you get when you finish a book. I'm smiling right now. :D**

 **One final thing: there WILL NOT be a sequel or any extra chapters added if any sort, since I see absolutely nowhere else for this story to go. I am mostly focusing on SVTFOE stuff, but I might come back to Fablehaven through popular demand. So, if you want more of Fabelehaven and Dragonwatch, review or PM me, and your wish might just come true!**

 **Over and out, MBFDIB.**


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